This document defines a Petri net modeling language or technique, called high-level Petri nets, including its syntax and semantics. It provides a reference definition that can be used both within and between organizations, to ensure a common understanding of the technique and of the specifications written using the technique. This document also facilitates the development and interoperability of Petri net computer support tools.

This document is applicable to a wide variety of concurrent discrete event systems and in particular distributed systems. Generic fields of application include:

— requirements analysis;

— development of specifications, designs and test suites;

— descriptions of existing systems prior to re-engineering;

— modeling business and software processes;

— providing the semantics for concurrent languages;

— simulation of systems to increase confidence;

— formal analysis of the behavior of systems;

— and development of Petri net support tools.

This document can be applied to the design of a broad range of systems and processes, including aerospace, air traffic control, avionics, banking, biological and chemical processes, business processes, communication protocols, computer hardware architectures, control systems, databases, defense command and control systems, distributed computing, electronic commerce, fault-tolerant systems, games, hospital procedures, information systems, Internet protocols and applications, legal processes, logistics, manufacturing systems, metabolic processes, music, nuclear power systems, operating systems, transport systems (including railway control), security systems, telecommunications and workflows.